Two SCSU forwards, including one junior, turn pro

Two St. Cloud State forwards, junior Dave Eddy and senior Travis Novak, have signed pro contracts.

Eddy, of Woodbury, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Calgary Flames starting in 2012-13.

He had nine goals and a career-high 25 points this season. For his career he had 30 goals and 55 points in 92 games.

Said Flames general manager Jay Feaster, according to a SCSU news release:

“David is a hard worker who goes to the high traffic areas on the ice and plays the game with grit and passion. He is the type of player who agitates opponents by the way he battles and competes.

"He is very strong on his skates and tough to move from in front of the net. At the same time, he has good hands and vision and we like his offensive instincts. We are pleased he has chosen to start his professional career with our organization and we look forward to his continued development.”

For now, Eddy signed an amateur tryout contract with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, an affiliate of the Flames.

Novak signed an amateur tryout contract with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, a Montreal Canadiens affiliate. Novak had 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points, all career highs this season.

The Huskies lost to North Dakota 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the Final Five last week. They finished an injury-marred season 17-17-5, but were 7-3-1 in their last 11 games.

"We don't want it to end, it hurts because we think we should still be playing," SCSU coach Bob Motzko said after his team's last game.

Motzko said at one point this season the Huskies were without seven forwards, five of the team's defensemen were freshmen or sophomores and he had to play a freshman in the nets for 20 consecutive games.

UNO LOSES ONE OF TOP SCORERS

Junior left wing Terry Broadhurst of Nebraska Omaha has signed a pro contract with the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, the school annouced earlier this week.

“Terry has exceled in his three seasons at UNO, and he is someone who has always had high expectations,” UNO coach Dean Blais was quoted as saying in a Mavericks' news releases. “It has been his aspiration to play in the NHL, and this is a step toward that goal. We wish him the best.”

Broadhurst had 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points, the second most on the team He is from Orland Park, Ill.

ZUCKER ON TRIP

Denver forward Jason Zucker, who was injured last Saturday in the Final Five title game, tweeted Tuesday night he is making the trip to Green Bay with his team the net morning.

The Pioneers meet Ferris State in a first-round NCAA game on Friday in the Midwest Regional.

DU coach George Gwozdecky on Zucker, a Wild prospect: "Certainly he has a great release. ... [But] especially early [in his college career] he played too much on the perimeter. It took a while."

FINAL FIVE BREAKS 70,000

The five-game Final Five last week drew a total attendance of 73,002. That's the eighth highest total in the 20-year history of the WCHA's postseason tournament.

Attendance by games:

Michigan Tech vs. Denver, 11,489

St. Cloud State vs. North Dakota, 15,133

Denver vs. Minnesota Duluth, 12,804

North Dakota vs. Gophers, 16,738

Denver vs. North Dakota, 16,838

Roman Augustoviz spends Minnesota's winters covering college hockey, specifically the Gophers, and other University of Minnesota sports. During the summer, he writes about the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, with a dose of U sports sprinkled in. Follow @RomanStrib on Twitter. E-mail Roman.